FFXIV Website Updated

They've added more things to the website, (http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/) including a lot of information about the jobs. Since I'm getting excited about XIV and had time I wrote up a short thing about them.

Looking at the jobs in XIV there seems to be a real focus on weapons rather than jobs. And these are broken down into (1) Hand to Hand (2) One Handed Weapons (3) Two Handed Weapons (4) Spears – which are apart from the other 2 handed weapons because they are wielded differently and (5) Ranged weapons. The only type that isn’t covered in here would be dual wielding, so maybe that would be something we see in the future. But I think for the most part there will not be any many new jobs past these 5.

Now looking at Magic there’s two types here. Drawing power from without (the environment) and drawing power from within (self power). The only thing I could think they could expand on here in the future would be drawing upon crystallized power. Or music could be another form of magic in the future (Bard). And maybe having a ‘gambler’ job could have cards to get effects. But having a without and within as the two sources of magic kinda covers all the main bases there just like the melee jobs cover all the bases with their 5 jobs.

Looking at the Melee jobs:
Archer is the Ranger from XI with a little Thief thrown in there. They’re ranged DD and not good up close which is why they got ‘Flee’ so if the enemy does get close they can run away. Storywise the famous Archers are the Elezen military and Miqo’te hunters.

Lancer is the Dancer from XI that uses a spear instead of daggers. They can actually stay back away from the target more than the other melee (range/distance looks to play a factor in things) and they have ‘Trick Attack’ from Thief. Storywise the famous lancers were the legions of Ala Mhigo (the city-state that was destroyed in the backstory).

Gladiator is a combination of Warrior and Paladin from FFXI. It is the sword/shield job that can attack or defend well. A lot of the abilities look to have come from XI’s Paladin. I see them being the main tank most of the time.

Marauder is a combination of Warrior and Dark Knight from FFXI. It is the master of 2 handed weapons (except spear). It is adept at attacking as well as defending, and many of its abilities look to have come from XI’s Dark Knight. I see them being the strongest melee DD, as well as good at defending.

Pugilist is a combination of Monk and Thief from FFXI. They get ‘Steal’ and deal more damage from being behind the monster. They also have a provoke just like Gladiators and Marauders. So they can tank in a pinch (aka pull it off the mage/archer).

So between those 5 jobs, they cover War, Mnk, Thf, Rng, Pld, Drk, Dnc. With a little Drg and Sam. But since I don’t see any ‘pet’ classes I doubt Drg will have a wyvern. (Then again Kain and other Dragoons didn’t have Wyverns either.) No Ninja, Puppetmaster, Corsair or Beastmaster.

Moving on to the Magic Jobs:
Conjurer is the Elemental Mage. They use the powers of the elements in the world to draw powers from and shape that aether into the spells they use. Pretty much it has all the cures, buffs, debuffs and elemental spells that both White Mage and Black Mage had in XI. Storywise the guild for them is in Gridania.

Thaumaturge is the Blood Mage. They use the powers within themselves to create magic into the world around them. They get all the ‘Dark Magic’ spells that are in XI from Black Mage, Dark Knight and Red Mage. They heal others by sacrificing their HP to give the target HP back. (Truthfully this is reminding me more of the Necromancer in Everquest.) Storywise the main guild for them is in Ul’dah.

So these really cover Whm, Blm, Rdm, Sch. But no Bard, Blue Mage or Summoner.

Personal thoughts:
They've kept most job features in one way or another. With the exception of getting rid of all 'pet' classes.

The two jobs I tend to lean towards have been scattered throughout the other classes available. (Thief and White Mage). I do like that most jobs have ways of healing themselves so you don’t need to have a dedicated healer, just one that can help if things get rough. But right now I’m thinking I’d be making Nekaru as a Miqo’te from Gridania who was an explorer and cook and would go adventure to come back and tell tales of what she did, as well as bring back new foods (because she liked to eat). And job-wise focus on Archer and Conjurer with a little Pugilist thrown in.

The dancer/lancer combo seems a little strange at first but I view it as an Infantry/European spear infantry (the XI dragoon) vs. an Asian martial arts fighter that uses a spear (XIV.) so it's ok in my book. I like the fact they're trying to go with completely new classes, this means it won't just be an upgraded XI.

Don't think I'd go with Rhoa if I got FFXIV, I'd probably look into something new... maybe a Galka-pirate-thing or Taru of the corn... the Mi-quo-Mithra look interesting but I suspect they'll be everywhere.

I'm sure the Miqo'te will be everywhere. It's how XI started out as well.

I have a feeling the lalafel will probably be the #2 race. (I'm going to make my alt/mule that.) And I bet the Galka looking one will be the least populated. (Even with them losing their tails.)

Reading more on the cities they're pretty different from XI as well. At first it would be easy to compair Gridania to Windurst, Limsa Lominsa to Bastok and Ul'dah to Sandy. But that's not the case at all. It's best to envision them more as Forest/Elements, Sea/Pirates/Trade, and Desert/Self Sufficent for Ul'dah.

*sniff* I want to play Humaisna and I can't in FFXIV... *sniff* I love him, even though he is a dumb bastard.

http://kotaku.com/5505529/the-10-tribes-of-final-fantasy-xiv-+-oh-look-dark-elves/gallery/
Dark elves, day/night cats... red/blue demon people... black guys... Taru taru of the corn of Arabian Taru Taru!

I wanna make a red Roegadyn... as nice as a Miqo'te look...

This is interesting. I just wish they'd update all the sites at once instead of the jpn one first then the na one then the EU one.

Preliminary thoughts:
Ul'dah (city of magic in the dunes with mountains closeby) will be the home for the Dunes Lalafel, the Lohengarde (volcano) Roegadyn, and the Highlander Hyurans.

Limsa Lominsa (city of trade on the sea) will be the home for the Plains Lalafel, the Seawolf Roegadyn and the Midlanders Hyurans.

And the city of Gridania will have all the Miqo'te and Elezen.


I will say I do like the way the Dunes Taru look as well as the Shaders of the Elvaan. Hume's I'd pick Midlanders, Miqo'te both look good,and Roegadyn...not for me.

Other Information:
Introduction of the 10 races living in Eorzea


Hyuran

Midlander

•Majority of Hyuran, which is has large population.
•They live in different towns and villages,and their vocations vary.
•Because of the custom of reading books from the early age, they tend to have relatively bigger percentage of intelligence.

Highlander

•They used to live in highlands in northern margin. Highlanders are muscular and big for Hyuran. It became very rare to see them except mercenary males in other cities, after their state city Ala Mhigo fell.


Miqo’te

Seekers of the Sun

•They are a tribe of Miqo’te who calls themselves “The apostle of the Sun.”
•Most of them believe in the Sun God Arzema, and are active basically during daytime.
•They have impressive eyes which is vertically big with pale iris.

Keeper of the Moon

•They are a tribe of Miqo’te who calls themselves “The guard of the Moon.”
•Most of them believe in the Moon Goddess Menefina, and are basically nocturnal.
•Majority of them has vivid makeup for battle on their faces.

Lalafell

Plainsfolk

•They are a tribe of Lalafell who used to live in thatched roofed houses which are connected in basement like nests ofants.
•Their hair color is olive or flaxen. They have big ears so that they can hear footsteps of moles.

Dunesfolk

•They are a tribe of Lalafell who used to move around deserts in movable housings with large livestock.　
•Their pupils are covered with thin film and that makes their eyes look like glass.
•They put treasure beads which show fate of constellation on their foreheads.

Elezen

Forester

•They are a tribe of Elezen who has lived in a thick forest for hundreds of years.
•They have amazing farsightedness like a hawk, and are very good archer.
•Nowadays, quite a few of them adapted city lives or went back to nomadic life in plains.

Shader

•They are a tribe of Elezen who has lived in dim limestone caves for hundreds of years.
•Their hearing which is as acute as that of bats can even hear the rustle of enemy. Therefore, many are good at martial arts.
•Nowadays, some keep on living in caves and are almost like bandits. They despise Forester as betrayers.

Roegadyn

Seewolf (German pronouciation)

•The tribe of Roegadyn once feared as pirates that attacked from the northern sea and earned themselves the title, "Wolves of the sea."
•It is still common for them to be employed as sailors and navy.

Tribe of the scarlet flame, Lohengarde
•This Roegadyn tribe lives near a volcano opening and are known as the "Guardians of the flame."
•Not only strong in body, their training to resist fire has also given them great magic strength.



So sounds like race/tribe will play a role in stats, and social aspects of the game.

I should really do more fact finding before posting guesses. Apparentl there's more cities than on the website. Don't know if they're starting cities or not.

•Limsa Lominsa: The city is governed by a leader they call Admiral. One of the Roegadyn tribes lives here.

•Ul’dah: Ul’dah produces slashing-type one-handed swords and is surrounded by desert. Martial arts tournaments are held here.

•Gridania: Its base is nestled in a dim forest. According to the information released so far, it is somewhere in the northern part of Eorzea

•Ishgard: This city in the mountains appears in the story “Tales of Bridges.”

•Ala Mhigo: This city was the first to fall in the Empire’s invasion and was home to many Highlander Hyurs.

Last update before lunch, but they have confirmed that characters will have first and last names.

What the Developers have said about the classes: (Note - Maruaders aren't 2-handed weapons. They're 2-handed axes only.)

A: In a very broad sense, this is the image I have for each class-
Gladiator– The hero who crushes the strong and defends the weak. They are the guardian of the party. An almighty fighter good for anyone.

Pugilist– You’re right on the front lines. There is a thrill in the split second decision making you’ll have to do. Do you change your stance or not? This person is definitely a damage dealer. I’d say it is also for people who don’t want to have to pay a lot of attention to detail.

Lancer– You’ll need the ability to make judgment calls and make the most of your weapon range. The lancer is the party’s last defense. Play lancer if you like tactical fighting.

Marauder– This is a macho and massively powerful attacker. The trump card of the party. The marauder is a good class for people who like getting in those last blows and stuff.

Archer– A cool sniper who scans the battlefield, looking for their chance to strike, rather than staring off into the distance. If you were talking baseball, this is your team’s shortstop. It is also a good class for people who want to play solo or are kind of a loner.

Conjurer– This is a support member who changes roles depending on how the battle is going. They could attack, add to the party’s defense, or cure. This is a good class for somebody who wants to put their hands in everything.

Thaumaturge– The Thaumaturge is your party’s strategist, using their enfeebling magic to control the battlefield. Good for someone that has the capacity for forethought.

Miner– Metal is an indispensable part of making almost any piece of armor and the miner is the person that goes out, finds it, and brings it to the marketplace. This is a class that knows how to make money fast. It is also for people who are persistent.

Blacksmith– The blacksmith is a crafter who makes and repairs weapons, tools, and other things that have some metal component to them. You’ll always have customers so this job is suited for people who like doing business with other people.

Alpha Impressions on Famitsu

http://www.ffxivcore.com/topic/5081-famitsu-site-update-alpha-impressions/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook